Concrete dam.



W. S. MORTON.

CONCRETE DAM.

APPLIGATIQN FILED MAY 13, 1911.

1,001,427, Patented Aug. 22, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRANI cu.,wAsmNuTnN. n. c,

UNITED STA'IiISluPAIENT UFFIQEJ WALTER S. MORTON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONCRETE DAM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVai'xrnu S. hIoa'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, county and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Concrete Dams, of which the following is a specification.

My invention .relates to improvements in concrete dams, and consists in the features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In structures of this character a solid wall dam involves enormous waste of concrete, since the mass is greatly in excess of whatl is necessary to withstand the pressure ot' the water upon the deck. Se too in less degree there is a large waste of material in the construction of so-called hollow dams, where the deck is Supported by solid walls perpendicular to the face of the deck. l have found by careful computation and tests that by means of a properly constructed supporting frame-work great economy in the use of concrete can be achieved and at the same time equal or superior rigidity can be secured in comparison with other types of such structures. I accomplish this by ribs running longitudinally, and in vertical planes across the back of said deck, which ribs are preferably arched, each arch being supported by columns stanc'ling approximately perpendicular to the deck. '.lhese columns are of graded cross-sectional dimensions with the .largest nearer the base of the deck, and are interconneeted by braces, preferably at right angles to the columns. By this means the entire load of the water pressure upon the dam is evenly distributed among the several columns and every part of the strl'lcture bears its` measured and proper load.

In the aecon'ipanyingl drawings, forming part hereof, Figure l is a vertical cross section of my improved dam, Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 a modified detail.

In these drawings, 1 represents a concrete deck having horizontal strengthening ribs 2; 3 ribs or beams lying in Vvertical planes at right angles to the ribs 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 13, 1911.

Patented Auf. 22, 1911.

serial No. 6217,635.

it, 5, G, and 7 are series of bracing columns or supports for the dam. The thickness ol the face or floor of the dam is increased downwardly to withstand the .increased pressure of the lower strata of water and the columns 4t, 5, (3, and 7 are correspondingly heavier the nearer they are placed to the bottom of the dam. S, ff), 10, ll and 12 are other series ol." braces` interconnecting the several columns and stitl'ening the strucw ture as a whole. 1&5 are arches interrelinecting adjacent cohunns for distributing the load of the deck thereon. i

I'Iaving thus described my inventimi, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A. dam having an inclined concrete deck, inclined supporting columns therefor standing approximately at, right angles to the plane of the deck, said columns being of varying and graduattal sixes, the lowermost heilig neal'estvthe bottom of the dam, braces i1itereomiecting said columns, longitlu'linally disposed strengthening ribs under said deck, and series of arches arranged between the columns in vertical planes.

A concrete. dam having an inclined deck, oppositely inclining supporting columns therefor of varying size correspomling to the varying loads upon the deck.

In a dam, an .inclined concrete deck, longitudinally disposed strengthening ribs, arched cross beams in the rear of said deck and concrete supporting columns therefor arrailged llmlerneath the arched beams and inclined oppositely to said deck.

-l-. A dam having an inclined concrete deck, arched strengthening ribs extending longitiulinally and in vertical planes on t-he underside thereof, concretecolumns supporting said arches, and lateral braces at right angles to said columns and intercomiecting the same.

In a concrete dam, in combination with the deck thereof, a series of siupporting columns graduated in size to correspond substantially with the load upon the dill'erent portions of the deck respectively adjacent the said columns.

G. In a concrete dam, in combination with irs deck, a series of supporting concrete In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set Columns therefor of varying sizes to oorresmy hund at the city of New York, this 12th pond substantially with the loads upon the day of May, 1911.

respective adjacent portions of the deck, and VALTER S. MORTUN. strengthening and load-disrriloutingl ribs Witnesses:

upon the rear or bottoni face of the deck, as CLARENCE J. VYCKOFF,

and for the purposes specified. M. E. EVELAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.l 

